


Favorite Things

by loneackerman



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, F/M, Fluff, One True Pairing, RivaMika Jam, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:07:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27263227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loneackerman/pseuds/loneackerman
Summary: Mikasa has a secret fondness of celebrating Christmas. With a stolen pen paired with a stolen pad, she went to attend her secret mission.
Relationships: Mikasa Ackerman & Levi, Mikasa Ackerman/Levi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 33





	Favorite Things

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song: My Favorite Things remake from Sakamichi no Apollon  
> Enjoy the Holiday vibes!

.

After the successful mission of retaking Wall Maria, The Survey Corps was given, or perhaps granted, a privilege of a sumptuous year of rest, celebrations, or simply just slacking off before proceeding an expedition to a world that was once a myth and mystery— the outside of the walls.

Of course, one year is still a year, no matter how long, and no matter how short the time is. Annihilating almost majority of the titans, this year would probably make one of the remarkable— and maybe unforgettable, simply because the threat of the foul smelling giant bastards have almost reached the percentage of zero. 

Now everyone was granted a year of an utmost hope, relief, joy, and maybe a little bit of optimism. And for Mikasa Ackerman, it was surely a timely event as the smell of the reindeer season was slowly approaching. Christmas.

Christmas? She thought to herself as she missed the thought of feeling the cold December breeze with a mug of hot chocolate on her hands. She thought of her parents— the lovely holiday they spent together, before their lives was stolen. She thought of the Yeagers— the simple holiday they celebrated as she and Eren would often find woods for the fireplace. But ever since the world within the walls was destroyed selfishly, she can't even recall if they celebrated holidays in the Survey Corps.

Perhaps not. 

Leaning heavily against the wall with one of her hands in her pocket, and the other one tugged on her sentimental scarf, Mikasa decided to do something really nice for the upcoming Christmas Holiday.

She could already imagine the flabbergasted stupefied face of the 104th, because Mikasa Ackerman in any angle— was only a gloomy, invincible, bored brat that doesn't look like to give a shit about the most magical day of the year.

Who knows?

-

In the small but organized corner of her quarters, she fished out the fountain pen and a few bark pad she stole from the office of her irksome Captain when she was on her stupid cleaning duty that was obviously requested by Levi. _At least, I managed to steal some of his luxury items. Ha ha._

For a while, she was only staring trying to pop her braincells for ideas. Then she started to write. Food? Letters? Carols? No, no, no. Too corny and common. The thought of it made her feel vague, mostly because she didn't even consider thinking if the Squad was gonna celebrate the Christmas Holiday. Or if someone was gonna go along with whatever plan that would stick to her mind. Well, Hange does celebrate anything, so yeah, it's already predicted. 

Half an hour have passed when a bulb in her head was turned on. Gifts. Favorite things.

Well, she could assume that no matter how old and grumpy— like shorty, can everyone be, everyone would still love the idea of getting gifts rather than expressing the joy of the holiday in a tongue twister impressive greeting in which Mikasa Ackerman was really bad. She speaks only at least ten sentences a day.

And again, she silently resents herself for the past few years because she devoted herself for her suicidal brother— that didn't give a damn care, enough to strain herself away from everyone. She sighed, trying to forget her imbecility and decided that it was never too late to start over as well as welcoming other people's friendship. She stood up, knowing exactly what to do without even knowing the approach, and as she walked towards the door, she reached her neck for her scarf leaving it completely behind.

-

"Armin, what's your favorite thing?" For starters, her childhood friends are the first to-go-to list. Less awkwardness, more strategies. However, Armin looked really shocked because she isn't really the person who cares about someone's life.

"Uhmmmm... Whiskers of Kittens!" Well now, that left her dumbfounded. There was no way she would pluck out a poor kitten's source of GPS or whatever tracker you called those white fibrous keratin hanging. And why does Armin, would want those things anyway?

"Anything else?"

"Sea? Well, other than that... Nothing. I just found whiskers are satisfyingly cute." Armin gave her a nostalgic smile, that smile she already seen whenever Armin crossed a stray cat. She shrugged, thinking that maybe those whiskers are better than the sea. And she left.

Fishing out her secret memo, she crossed out Armin as she wrote next to his name: Whiskers of Kittens. Time to move on to the next target.

She was walking around the mess hall when a hungry drooling Sasha accidentally bumped her. "Oh geez, Mikasa! I'm really super sorr—"

"It's fine. What's your favorite thing in the world?" She already knew the answer, definitely potatoes. Everyone knew she was willing to die for a sack of potato, not to mention that Levi almost cut her into slices for stealing a small potato. But she still needs to ask though and she never expected the hungry girl's answer.

"Crisp Apple Strudels! Geez, I'm really drooling for it right now!" Sasha shouted as she hurriedly ran to get her food tray leaving Mikasa in the crowd. 

The Survey Corps only served ordinary apples, meaning she needs to go the town market to buy those strudels cavity feeling sweets. She better ready her small paycheck because of Sasha's glutton. Even though, she pulled an inward smirk trying to think about the excitement. Time to move on the next target.

-

After she ate her lunch, she decided to find Jean. Making it the not so obvious way because she doesn't want Jean to think of it as a love offering or whatever Jean would find romantic, but instead, she stumbled to Eren.

"Hey, watch where you're going Mika!" She never thought she could really be irritated with her adoptive brother slash first stupid puppy love.

"Have you seen Jean?" But before Eren could reply, she already sensed Jean coming to their way. "What's up, Mikasa?"

"Hey Jean. What is your favorite thing?" As predicted, she could see the flushed red cheek of Jean which kinda bothered her in a gazillion way.

"Well uhm— you, you know—"

"What the fuck, horseface? Does my sister looks like a thing to you?"

Unlike before, she have no patience as well as time to deal with one of Jean and Eren's never ending arguments. She spoke before the two boys would make a wrestling scene in front of everyone. "Eren, what's your favorite thing as well?"

"Oh, oh wait! Uhm, damn. It's hard, but please consider that horseface's favorite thing is a cream colored pony— so he could fuck it every night!" Eren was looking at Jean's flustered face with a seemingly teasing grin. Not backing down, Jean replied. "Well put that Eren's favorite thing is just simply looking at girls dressed in white with a blue satin sash— more like Historia because this titan boy over here jerks about her every single night!"

A part of her wants to abort her secret holiday mission because of stupid boys like Eren and Jean. It was purely a holiday, an innocent gesture of giving sentimental gifts, but then these two boys would rather think of stupid perverted things. She gave both of them her deadpan glare, shoving them out of her way as she silently prayed that her next target would be someone else with great sense.

But maybe there was no luck in the corner, maybe that the gods didn't really favored her, today or maybe the Survey Corps was just a legion full of crazy people. Hange was the one she came across.

She raised her fist into her heart as a gesture of respect, even though the remaining 104th and the remaining veterans closed formalities because they are somehow closed like families. But Mikasa was still Mikasa, and everything she does can't even be labeled as personal.

Not until this day.

"Squad leader Hange, what's your—"

"Oh my good walls! I'm getting so excited! Are you getting me a present?" _Really. What in the world is wrong with this woman_. She often thought of Levi rude, because of the way he threw offensive commentaries on Hange, but right now, she kinda understand how annoyed Levi always felt. Just a good thing she wasn't really that annoyed. So she replied. "Uhm, your favorite thing? In the... Walls?" Yes, the walls. Not in the whole wide world because the eccentric Hange might wish for—

"Geez, alright! Titans!"

If Levi was here, Hange could have got a black eye or two, and maybe Mikasa's life could have been a little easier. In her mind, she idly facepalm herself because there was no way she would agree to Hange's crazy-capture-date-a-titan the way she bugged Levi every single fucking time. "Is there, anything... else?"

"Okay, I know! Wild geese! And when those wild geese fly, they should have moon on their wings!" Talk about favorite things, indeed everyone has their own favorite things, it may be simple, weird, good, ambitious, or just literally a cup of tea. She accepted her defeat as she nodded, but there was no way she could give Hange an out of the world gift like that. Maybe she could give her Eren's feces— if he ever shits someday.

Before zoning out, she heard Hange one more time. "Add Moblit please! He prefers doorbells! And oh, sleigh bells! That's for our experiments!" She gave a quick nod, trying to figure out how does Moblit survive his life with Hange while the urge of not gasping like a dying fish. She shrugged, then fished out her secret memo as she added more details to her list. Next target...

-

It was tiring to be honest. She found herself scribbling and crossing while seating heavily in one of the bench outside the castle. She was weary, but it couldn't hinder the fact that she was up and giddy, excited to see the happy faces of everyone once the holiday arrived. But it question herself too, _how the hell am I gonna get those things?_

She added Mike and Nanaba on her list, because it was really rude not to include them, especially they were nice to her every time Levi pops every nerve of her body. So she added those things they like: Brown paper packages with strings, and a teasingly snowflakes that stays on nose and eyelashes. It was not really hard because there were a lot of brown DIY in the storage, and just the fact that it is starting to snow. She inwardly smiled at her scribbles, realizing that for some people, simple things can be proverbial and pleasurable too. Especially at a time like this.

Time to find another target, as she whispered to herself and hurriedly ran to the stables. She spotted a small buzz cut dancing boy, and she knew it was Connie.

"What's your favorite thing?"

"Mikasa, what the hell?" Oh for laughing out loud, of course, Connie was dumb but not to the point he realized that it was Mikasa— the scary girl, asking him his favorite thing. That made Mikasa really laugh at her mind, as she gave Connie a small sudden smile.

"Oh, sorry... So you really mean it? I thought you were out of your mind or possessed or threatened by Captain Levi—"

Levi. That made her brows raised. Somehow deep inside her, one of her system froze, because Connie just hit the right spot making her realized that she has been thinking of her captain all day. _No, no, no... I despise him, right? Or wrong...?_ Maybe, she just felt guilty because she stole something? Her system was still in freeze when Connie yelled at her.

"Mikasa hey? Are you listening? I just said Schnitzel and Noodles!" Oh, alright. She was still having a conversation with Connie about the dumb things he like. Now she found it weird that maybe Connie was under Sasha's rituals and proverbs about her never ending love for food. She can't blame them though, they were just answering her questions as she gave him a thumbs up. Before she left, she made sure to brush her brown horse named Sunny, and the other black horse she named Midnight. Well, it was actually an unnamed horse that belongs to... Levi.

_No, I'm not blushing._

-

Once inside the castle, she let herself rest— and somehow made composure, trying to remove silly thoughts rounding up her head. She leaned against the walls in the hallway, observing the room of her next target— the commander. She wasn't really intimidated of Erwin, perhaps she found the commander easy to approach and open to anything. Even if it's just her asking a silly question intended to be a surprise for the holiday. Marching like a dauntless soldier towards the room, she knocked and waited for a response.

"Name?"

"Ackerman, sir."

"Which Ackerman?"

"Uhm, the tall one." She wanted to burst into laughing completely forgetting that she and Levi shared the same surname. With enough eavesdropping power, she could hear the commander huffing laughs too as he called her to come in.

"That's really a good joke, Mikasa. Now, what have brought you here?"

"Just wanted to ask, commander. What's your favorite thing?" She spoke without any emotions as she bit inwardly her lower lip getting rid of any shame. Well, what's wrong with a simple question like that, right?

Seemed like it's a simple question but more of a jolly, gentle and warm one for the commander. He gave her a gentle smile, raised both of his brows as he said carefully: "Raindrops on roses."

Perhaps, the commander just wanted to get along with her flow. Or maybe the commander obviously thought it's a silly question— a soldier knocking on his room just to ask some irrelevant out of the blue question. Or maybe, there was a meaning between those lines. She couldn't tell. But she was already satisfied because maybe it was an easy gift to find, buy a rose and splash water on it or whatever.

She gently nodded as her hand automatically raised a salute when she heard a low, smoky, dead sexy, but still with a hint of annoyance voice. "What's the commotion all about?"

Levi. _Damn it_ , she felt strange this time. She felt hot— was it shame, anger, arousal, or excitement? Didn't matter because escape was all now matters as she tried to ignore the deadly look of her captain when she made her way outside the room. Hastily.

That was too close. She would say that she would rather die than admit that she feels a blush rising upon her cheeks just by seeing the captain. She shook her head and forced a grimace on her face.

She was a few steps behind the door when she heard Levi spoke. "What kind of a shitty favorite thing was raindrops on a fucking rose, eyebrows?" 

She felt the same itching question as she huffed a small laugh, biting her lip. She completely walked from the office when she fished out and scribble another detail on her secret stolen memo pad. She smiled when she noticed that she only have one target remaining.

But her mouth betrayed her when she involuntary set it agape as she remembered the only one remaining left.

_Levi._

Her mind went blank as she fidget the feather pen twirling all around like a pocket knife she owned. She cupped her flushed cheeks hardly, as she thought. _I could just give him tea, I guess. Black Tea? Or maybe a gallon of bleach? Or disinfectant wipes?_ She considered those things, but she also noticed that although it's been years she and the Captain developed a trust-hate camaraderie relationship, she doesn't really know Levi. Personally.

 _Why am I even bothered?_ She rolled her eyes, but under the feigned forced annoyance, hides a gentle guilt and curiosity because even if she denied it a million times, she honestly wanted to learn a lot of things about Levi.

And Levi wasn't the type of person who do small talks about favorites, hobbies, dreams, or whatever. Levi isn't also the type of a party animal because on whatever occasion, he just stayed inside his room, reading or drinking tea. She even suspected before that Levi has no birthday, because of the ever presence of his youthful vampiric face that doesn't age. Even the commander and the other veterans only knew a small of his background, and there was no way Levi would just spat his favorite things just because she asked without revealing her hidden silly agenda.

_But, I still wanted to try. And Levi must be lonesome._

She gave a sigh of exasperation as she went to read the scribbles on her secret stolen memo. She crossed out the forgotten names as she sat on an empty bench at the castle's backyard. She wanted to breath fresh air though even while feeling a little chilly because of the weather.

So she wrote once again to rearrange her list.

_Whiskers on Kittens_  
_Crisp Apple Strudels_  
_Cream Colored Ponies_  
_Girls in White Dresses with Blue Satin Sashes_  
_Wild geese the flies with the moon on their wings_  
_Doorbells and Sleigh bells_  
_Brown paper packages tied in strings_  
_Snowflakes that stays on nose and eyelashes_  
_Schnitzel and Noodles_  
_Raindrops on Roses_

_Hmmm, it kinda sounds nostalgic?_ She thought while remembering something from the past thoroughly, she heard those words before but it's just she can't remember. Perhaps, a song? _Think, think, think..._

_Gotcha._ She remembered her mother's silent lullabies, as she tried to closed her eyes, trying to hum whatever left of the remnants of her past memories. The only thing is that she can't remember the order of the lyrics or whatever it was. So she just hummed, trying to get the right melody.

And then that low, smoky, dead sexy, now with the hint of arrogance surprised her alone time. "I think I know the owner of that thing you're holding."

She opened her eyes, unaware of her lowered guard, as her gazed looked up towards the sudden voice, then back to her hands that were holding the pen and pad. _Oh, shit._

"I— I'm sor—" but before she could say the words with her stuttered voice, Levi replied bored. "Keep it." He paused, looking right and left, observing if there was other people present at the backyard. "Some royal fucks just gave that for my birthday last year. I have almost a dozen of it, and I believe I don't have a dozen hands."

So he still really has a birthday, she thought as she curiously wondered when was the captain's birthday. She wanted to smile, wanted to savour the rare moments in which the captain was not rude and sulky. "Uhm, thanks?" She felt the foreign word twitched her tongue. Way to go, Mikasa. Don't you ever thank anyone else?

He scoffed his favorite expression "Tch" as he sat down beside her in the once lonely bench, now occupied by two raven headed scary peculiar people. She can't deny that she could feel her heated cheeks turn to red. _Damn, I wish I have my scarf._

While Levi, still looking bored, he caught a glimpse of her face, then turned his gaze on the stolen memo pad she was holding. Before she could analyze what was going, the memo pad was already in his hands. "Now, what do we have here gloomy brat?" He scanned the list of everyone's favorite things, written in her very unorganized hand writing, as she could feel the captain grimaced her stencil skill. Still looking bored, he spoke once again. "And what were you humming, eh?"

Okay, he caught her humming. Now she wanted to let the ground eat her alive because of shame. But she was Mikasa Ackerman, and there's no way Levi Ackerman can hold her guard down. "It's a lullaby... From my late mother. I just thought that the list of everyone's favorite things might be coincident to the lyrics of..." She paused, thinking that she was too overwhelmed that she didn't even remember the title of the lullaby. "I can't remember it, though."

With the ever young look of her captain's brows raised, he asked. "Favorite things. Everyone?" He paused, looking like he was scheming something. "I see the reason why that dumb eyebrows suddenly talked about shitty roses being wet by raindrops like a fucking sex phrase." She almost forgot that it was December because she could feel her body heat by that certain lewd word.

She bit her lip, avoiding her captain's gaze, not noticing that he took his (or now her) fountain pen, the scribble something on the note.

**Raindrops on roses, and Whisker on Kittens**

He wrote the first two things with a neat, beautiful stencil. He looked at her still with a bored look, but the eyes won't lie. His eyes was teasing, sparkling, and kinda excited? She was too busy looking his gorgeous features when he spoke. "What's your favorite thing, Mikasa?"

 _Fuck_ , she cursed though she doesn't really have a crude mouth to begin with. And she even forgot to consider herself on her list of everyone's favorite things. She was too busy drooling rainbows of excitement and nervousness as she left herself behind the picture, and it was thanks to the irksome handsome Levi who reminded that. But the way her captain called her name like it was some slow kind of worship, it made her really turned on. Made her realize and remember that she was also a woman who can develop shitty feelings like crushes and butterflies. Well, not for a long time... until he opened again his mouth. "Are you still listening, you stupid brat?"

She rolled her eyes as she thought about her favorite thing. _Scarf? Uhh, no. I already untied that bond with Eren, right?_ Perhaps, up to date, she doesn't have a favorite thing. She lowered her lids, looking at the ground, trying to thought of why she let herself be a downer for the past hell of a years. She was about to reply: nothing, until her hands were grabbed by a pair of warm, calloused, but almost perfect hands. "Take it."

She was surprised to see her hands with a pair of black mittens. The ignition of excitement and joy are tumbling stupidly in her heart as well as the sparkle in her eyes as she looked to him while he spoke again, "You look cold, gloomy and shitty. At least talk to me, will you?" 

Levi rolled his eyes but she was too indulge with the joy swelling in her heart as she finally spoke. "Captain, what's your favorite thing in the world?" She squeezed the black warm mittens, trying to resist the urge to smell it like some sick loyal dog, then when she couldn't resist the inviting pine musk aroma, she wore the mittens that were still warm and perfect. 

She noticed him shrugged as she was completely taken aback when she heard him hummed the same melody she was humming a while ago. He didn't really answer as he continued writing what he was writing earlier.

**Brown copper kettles, and warm woolen mittens**

**Brown paper packaging tied up with strings**

He was still humming while writing then for some reasons he put words into his beautiful melody. " _These are the list of my favorite things_."

"Your favorite things?" She asked albeit dumbly, but she was sure she was getting the thought of it closer.

"Well that supposed to be the title of what you were humming a little while." He paused as he leaned closely, as the tip of his nose brushing gently into her ears. "My favorite things."

"Okay..." She was honestly loss at words and didn't even know how she managed to reply when she noticed Levi chuckling an oh so seductive laugh. "How about what's your favorite thing now, brat?"

She was holding her breath unconsciously like the way she gripped her new black mittens. She was too busy gaping inwardly being held aback mesmerizingly that she even forgot to name any thing she could think to be her new favorite. Without really thinking what to reply, she said: "I, uhm, mittens?"

If she was listening closely, she sure could figure out that Levi snort a cute small laugh. "Fine then. Well, I should tell you that mine was brown copper kettles."

"Like what you wrote? And uhm, for your tea?"

"Maybe." He winked, as he scribbled more.

**Cream colored ponies, and Crisp apple strudels**

He raised his brows. "I supposed this is coming from the horseface and the potato brat?"

She nodded as she let Levi do all the speaking. She found herself really weird right now... For the past few years, she have worked as a partner to her captain, she never felt stingy feelings like this. For a while that she have known, she even held grudge to him. A little while, she was in severe denial about her stupefied tumultuous feelings about the irksome shorty. But right now, something is really shit and she even felt that it was really the end of the world because she cannot deny anymore the reddening of her cheeks just by even hearing the name of Levi. Maybe she really have a little crush or a little feeling. She tried to ignore as she listen more to the angelic hum of Levi. She didn't speak not because she didn't like, but because she liked the idea of just momentarily staring at the captain's hidden handsome face.

So she just let Levi scribble and hummed quietly when she decided to speak. "When's your birthday?" 

She honestly felt that it was really personal, and somehow it made her regret asking him because thirty seconds have already passed and the captain was just staring at her. _I didn't even address him captain for fuck's sake._

_I could die right now._

She was about to cut her almost too comical question when she heard Levi, grinning. "It's a secret."

Her white porcelain face now turned into a red blushing tomato, somehow because of shame and annoyance because instead of giving another hideous reply, she rolled her eyes.

_He could be really pretty but he was also too vexing. Jesus..._

He broke out the vague silence that was forming between them when he spoke with his crude mouth. "Fucking four eyes, did she ask for these flying geese with fucking moons?"

She almost forgot that she was annoyed because she chuckled a little bit. She nodded and add, "That's much okay than before, I guess..."

He scoffed. "Don't tell me she gave you another one of her shitty capture a titan?"

Her eyes could really form a crescent moon because she was inwardly holding her tremendous laugh because of the crazy scientist's weird shits that was obviously shitting the nerve of Levi. She nodded, nonetheless.

"Shitty glasses. Gonna get her a stick for Christmas so she could shove it in her fucking ass." He spat out bitterly the words, but then he smirked afterwards. She couldn't help it, she couldn't stop asking herself when was the last time she have seen the captain so talkative and so smiley?

She gave a small smile in which she thought the captain wouldn't notice. But Levi was Levi, and he was a meticulous freak and he obviously noticed everything. The sight of that made his heart warm.

Few minutes have passed, and never in her life she thought she could enjoy a silent time with her captain. Perhaps, she could tell it was the best quality time she have ever spend with anyone in the corps. She enjoyed the silence, as well as he enjoyed the ever warming silence. She watched as she assumed the captain was done rearranging the list of her sloppy scribble in exchange of his neatly beautiful stencil.

"Give me a copy of that and drop it at my office."

Her face was quizzed, as she thought she was just hearing some cleaning task or shoveling shit task. "W-what?"

He scoffed while rolling his eyes, clearly trying to get rid of the irk building within him. "Give me a copy of it. Could be later, or after dinner. Understood? And keep the mittens, same with the pen."

He stood up, with his grace like a cat, he swiftly walked away just like the way he came here about an hour ago.

With his mittens still warmly wrapped on her hands, Mikasa smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you did enjoy. This story might only have two to three chapters, sadly... Write down your comments, I love reading them! xx


End file.
